Shoe straightener



April 14, 1953 B. E. WALSTROM 2,634,440

SHOE STRAIGHTENER Filed May 8, 1951 /6 j ,3 V/Z/ i/w WWO? 318077 52 6'. M ALJTEOM Patented Apr. 14, 1953 1.,2,634,44op snons marq .BrothergEz. Walstmm; mm 8 din; "F 1% wAmuicat.itn-rliieyrt 1951, seri g2 'Ql'aimse (Cl. 12 -1291? E.

My: present =-invention L relates: generally i to a: shoe' form and, more-specifically; is directed to er shoe fcrnrfor-supportmg'shoes v. hen':notvin=-use wher'eby -the latter maybe maintained in proper shapea r The shoefdrm' of 'my present =inventionisan iinygnfievement"-over the shoe: form' diselosed in Patent Ntn 2;3'19 ,-60, -whichwas issued in my name Qn MayAB; 1943.-

It isan obj ect iof' my present -invention' to pro-- v-idea: shoe-form -whioh is adaptedto -maintaintlie-sole of shoeperfectly'fiat in order that the- Vamp f t1'ie shoe ma ebe held against-- creasingi or wrinkling and the: shoe retained in: propershape;-

feature of the ShOB-fOlHlsoh my present invention residesin theprovision of a base per-- tion and a? pair of-F. convergent channel's one of which is fi'xed and the other one Of-WhlGh-i.--iS- pivota-lly mounted -to-- the base portion; The channeled-re adapted to -receive the sole-of 'a -shoe for clamping the latter-r-in-i a -flatposition. A shoe form of the character noted, embodying the movable channel, can accommodate a wider rangewoflshoe; sizes and .sole shapes than, present known shoe forms can accommodate.

A further featureof mypresent invention residessimthe provision of azspring clamp secured;

a to; thesreanend.oithembaseeportion of the-shoe form .whichis adapted ,tolengae i he edges ofi the so1e.:.of the=:shoe.adjaeentthezrearcshanktportion immediatelyu'forwardly. of thee fonvardi edge of tliaheelf ofrtheshoeh 'Ihe springcclampatendsto maintain: the shoe straight ine order to prevent creasingorewrinklinghofithe vamp of theshoe.

Now, in order to acquaint those skilled in the art with the manner of constructing and using the device of my present invention, I shall describe in connection with the accompanying drawings, a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the shoe form of 'my present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the shoe form of Figure 1 and illustrates a shoe in position in the form;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 in Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 in Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing, there is indicated generally by the reference numeral ID, the

shoe f arm ofmy '-present"invention-lwhich.:'come=- prisesa planarbase p ortion lt the contouil oii" which-conforms-substantially-tattle generalsoutia lineofthe select a shoe; 'I-ne==-base portion lli has" a; lateralportion 9; a toe portion 12 and;

rear-end portion- I3 The base portion I adj acent one edge thereofi is formed? with an upturnedvertically -:extendinm fiangepcrtion --i it" which-- atits upper end i is bent:

' inwardly as at :5 defining a fixed channelil-litt which along its longitudihal eX tent 1st arcuate in shape: 1 a

A clamp memberi I -is pivotally mountediatal 83 to the lateral portion ii-of the 'b se l I 1 Thednner; edge-=0? the c-lamp member -I "isnfor-medi with-Jan: upturned vertieally extendingefi'anga portions 192 which at its upper edge is bent inwardlyva s at lfl. Theflang-e re; together w ith the-base portion .1 I, definesa movable channel 2 L, which along its lone gitudinalextent is arcuate in -shapei,

A-n' arcuate= slot '22; iSdfOrmedi. in; thee. clamp:- member TL and projectingmpwardly:throughrthee slot- 2211s a luga 23 which suitablys-z mounted; to; the base H iThezwlizglportiom-fli isi-formechwith: laterally extending fingerss 2G; whichsengageethe; upper: surface -of :theaclamp .zmemben: I it andzservee as; a guide foruthealatter: duringa pivotal; merge; meritrialzioutiathe;axi'sl8; l A helicailtorsion:springr25i havingetwa fneeaendsz s 25 1 and" 2:7: isrseciu'ed: to the; clampi'membemi Th;

intermediate: of the ends thereofw. Theaendifi: of thespring 25 isadisposed imenga'gement with: the-- lug 23 of the' base li-rwhilez-theeendtZFlsisdiS posed engagement: with; a: lugzzfl i formedsiinr tegrallwwithithe elamptmemheri l 1 -'Ihes springecau'ses theaclampa memberzal Eli toihemormaily; biased inwardly about the pivot point IS.

A suitable spring clamp 30 is arranged transversely of the rear end portion l3 of base II and is suitably secured thereto intermediate its ends as by a rivet 3|.

In Figure 2, a shoe 33 is shown fitted within the shoe form H] of my present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that in fitting the shoe to the shoe form, the edge of the sole 34 of the shoe 33 is forced forwardly into the channels l6 and 2|. As the shoe is moved forwardly the clamp member I! pivots outwardly about pin I8 against the clamping force of the spring 25. With the sole of the shoe firmly clamped within the channels, it will be noted that the rear end portion l3 of the base ll terminates adjacent the rear shank portion of the shoe immediately forwardly of the forward edge of the heel 35. Pressure is then exerted downplaced irrf'the "'sh'oelfofm, thelshoe will dry in its natural shape and the sole willbe maintained flat.

forexample, by forming a plurality of'vents orvaried to accommodate ,shoes of various sizes skilled. in, the. art that the shoe,forrn may be madeof any suitable material, as, for example,-

lightweight metal, woodplastic or any material which has sufiicient rigidity to maintain its shape under stress, and which can be readily. moldedor fabricated to the desired shape. It is to bealso notedthat thedepth of thechannels I6 and :21 may. be varied to accommodatev various sole thicknesses,

Now, while, I ,have shown and described what I believe to be a preferred embodiment of; my present invention, it will be understood that .various vmodifications and rearrangements maybe made therein, without departing from the; spirit and scope .of my present invention,

1 claim:

L Ashoe form comprising a planar base por;-

tion of rigid .material having a contour sub-.

-at its upper end ispbentlinwardly forwdefining a movable channel, said fixed and movable chan-vv nels convergingwtoward the toe portion ofsaid,

base, a horizontallysextending slotiormed in said clamp member, a lug secured to said base portion andextendingupwardly through said slot'in said clamp. member, said lug having later-e Airing of the sole 34 of the shoe 83 when upper surface of said clamp member for guiding the latter in pivotal movement, a torsion spring having a pair of free ends one of which is secured to said clamp member and the other of which is secured to said lug, said spring being adapted to bias said clamp member which defines said movable channel inwardly toward said fixed channel, a transversely extending spring clamp secured to said base portion adjacent the rearend thereof, and s'aidv spring,lclamp being adapted to engage -the edges of the sole of a shoe [adjacent the rear shank portion thereof im- "mediately forwardly of the forward edge of the clamped in the shoe form may be accomplished,

openings-32 in the base H. Airing ofthe sole may be accomplished in othenwaysasiorexample, by forming elevated ridges in the base ll.

The contour of the base ll obviously maybe,

allyv extending. arm portions whichengage the 116619? the shoe for retaining the shoe in proper si a e,

' 25A shoe form comprising a planar base portion of rig i d .;material having a contour substantially the shape of a shoe sole, an upturned vertically extending flange formed integrally with said base portion along one edge thereof, said flange at its upper edge being bent inwardly of said, base portion for defining a fixed channel, a. clamp member pivotal y. mOUnted at its fore ward end t said base portion, said clamp mem: her having formed integrally therewith an up turned, verticallyextending flange portion which atits upper end is bent inwardly for defininga movable channel, said, fixed and movable channels converging toward thetoeportion of said base, atorsionspringhaving a pair of freeends one of which is secured to said, clamp member and the, other of which, is secured to said base. portion, said spring being adapted to bias said clamp member which defines said movable chan: nel inwardly toward said fixed channel, a trans-1 versely, extending spring clamp secured to said base portion adjacent therear end thereof, and said spring clamp being. adapted to engage the edges of the sole of a shoe adjacent the rear shank portion thereof immediately forwardly, of; theforward edge of .the heel of the shoeforre taining the shoe in proper shape.

BRQTHERQE, WALSTROM,

References Cited in the file of this patent N ED STATES A71 I' Number Name Date 1,618,264 Boddeni Feb. 22, 1927.- 1,848,552 Sayles Mar. 8, 1932 1,998,921 Brown Apr. 23, 1935 v 2,128,891 Barnes- Sept. 6, 1938. 2,160,601 Moriarty May 30, 1939 2,473,490 Lonngren June 14, 1949v 2,519,244

Goldsberry. Aug. 15, 1950, 

